In this paper, we propose a new shape encoding method for object recognition. We first introduce a neuro‐physiologically motivated visual part detector and shape encoder. We found that the optimal form of the visual part detector is a combination of a circular symmetry detector and a corner‐like structure detector. A perceptually novel shape descriptor, named curvature‐orientation descriptor, is then proposed, which encodes curvature as well as dominant orientation. The perceptual shape<BR>encoder enhances the feature matching performance enormously in the standard test images.